Run-of-the-River Spillway Modifications

Client: Albany Engineering, Albany NY

WRE designed and constructed a partial three-dimensional model of the Watervliet spillway (Guilderland, New York), to analyze the performance of an existing training wall, with and without a proposed crest gate. The prototype dam has a length of 306 feet and a height of 36 feet. A 1:48 scale model was used to reproduce hydraulic conditions at the dam.

The partial model reproduced 168 feet of the dam crest. It included topographic details of the left bank of the Normanskill River, along with the training wall under study.

The physical model study demonstrated that the placement of crest gates over the existing spillway did not exacerbate adverse hydraulic conditions in the side channel formed between the dam and the training wall.

About us

Water Resources Engineering, Inc. (WRE) is an engineering consulting firm based in San Francisco, California. We work exclusively on water-related projects, dealing with drinking water, stormwater, wastewater, and recycled water. While most of our clients are in Northern California, we have worked on projects throughout the United States and in several foreign countries.